Slide presentation programs are computer programs that enable a user to create, edit, manage, and perform "presentations" on a computer. One example of a popular slide presentation program is Microsoft PowerPoint.RTM., available from Microsoft Corporation, of Redmond, Wash. A slide presentation includes a set of electronic "slides," each slide corresponding to one screen or page of output. An electronic slide may also be converted to a 35 mm slide or overhead transparency and displayed in a standard slide projector or overhead projector. Each slide contains one or more objects, such as text, graphical images, or graphical animation. A slide may also include a sound object that is played when the slide is displayed during a "slide show" performance.
A slide presentation program "performs" a "slide show" by sequentially displaying a series of slides contained within the slide presentation. The slides are displayed on a display screen, which may be part of a computer monitor or a separate surface onto which an image is projected. During a performance of a slide show, a speaker controls the performance by invoking commands to advance the slide show. A command can be entered using a keyboard, a mouse, or other suitable input device. Alternatively, an author of a slide presentation can include slide "timings" with each slide. A slide timing corresponding to a slide indicates the number of seconds that the slide is displayed before the slide presentation program automatically advances to the next slide. During a performance of a slide show, the slide presentation program automatically advances to the next slide when the existing slide's timing ends.
A slide can include one or more display objects that are incrementally displayed during a slide show. For example, a slide may initially appear with one bullet item. Sequential advancement of the slide show causes additional bullet items to be displayed. Display objects, such as bullet items, that are incrementally displayed are referred to as "builds."
PowerPoint.RTM. 95 provides an author with the ability to create and edit slides. It also provides a speaker with the ability to perform a slide show. During a slide show, a set of slides is sequentially displayed and each slide is enlarged to fill the entire display screen. Clicking a mouse button while a slide is displayed causes PowerPoint.RTM. to present the next slide or build in sequence. A mouse click on the last slide of the presentation causes the slide show to terminate.
It may be inconvenient or uneconomical to have a speaker narrate and perform the slide show every time one or more people desire to view the presentation. In a number of situations, an individual may desire to view a slide show when a speaker is not available. For example, it is desirable to allow workers to view slide presentations containing training information at their convenience, rather than at a fixed time and location when a speaker is available. A slide presentation can also be made available on a large network, such as the Internet, that allows individuals to download the slide presentations and perform slide shows on their local computers.
It is desirable to have a mechanism that allows a slide show viewer to individually browse through the slides of a slide presentation. Preferably, such a mechanism includes a user interface that provides a slide show viewer with mechanisms appropriate to an individual viewer navigating and browsing a slide presentation. The present invention is directed to providing such a mechanism.
It is also desirable to provide a mechanism that allows a "kiosk viewer" to view a slide show on a restricted computer. Preferably, such a mechanism includes a user interface that restricts the operations that the kiosk viewer can perform, and allows limited navigation and functions during a slide show. The present invention is directed to providing such a mechanism.